Early next year, the United Kennel Club (UKC) will officially add a new sport to its lineup – dog dock jumping.
UKC-registered dogs will have the opportunity to earn dock jumping titles beginning in February 2008. In the sport also referred to as “Air Dog,” dogs race down a dock and launch themselves into the air as far and as high as their legs allow, landing in a body of water. The dog’s jump is measured from the end of the dock until where the base of their tail plunges into the water.
Slight variations of the sport include Ultimate Vertical and Catch-it. In Ultimate Vertical events, dogs must hit a training bumper placed eight feet out over the water at increasing heights; dogs must knock the bumper down for the jump to count. Catch-it trials require dogs to seize toys thrown into the air over the water. Dogs must catch the toy in the air, before it lands in the water.
UKC-licensed dock jumping events will be conducted by Ultimate Air Dogs, which began as a club in Michigan and has since grown to one of the top dock jumping organizations in the country.
Any size, purebred or mixed-breed dog may participate in dock jumping. For details on future dock jumping events, visit www.ukcdogs.com.